The present disclosure relates to glass-run retainers for automobile doors and door structures of automobiles.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, an automobile door having a structure in which a side panel 2 is provided adjacent to an up-and-down sliding window pane (hereinafter referred to as a sliding window pane) 1 is generally known. In a front door illustrated in FIG. 1, a fixed glass panel is provided as the side panel 2 at a position adjacent to, and at the front of, the sliding window pane 1. Such a side panel 2 is used as a mirror base in some cases, and also called a corner bracket. Although not shown, in a rear door, a side panel is also provided at a position adjacent to, and at the rear of, a sliding window pane in some cases. The side panel is not necessarily made of glass, and can be made of a metal or a resin.
As shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-285067, for example, a glass run 4 and a retainer 5 illustrated in FIG. 2 are conventionally located above a belt line L of a door so as to hold a sliding window pane 1 while allowing the panel 1 to move up and down. The retainer 5 has an approximate H cross section. In a recess of the retainer 5 at one side, a side edge of the side panel 2 is fitted with a seal 6 interposed therebetween. In another recess of the retainer 5 at the opposite side, the glass run 4 having an approximate U cross section is held to slidably hold the sliding window pane 1. On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 3, below the belt line L of the door, a retainer 7 having an approximate U cross section is provided as a component different from the approximately H-shaped retainer 5 located above the belt line L. The retainer 7 has a recess in which a glass run 8 having an approximate U cross section is held. The retainer 7 is fixed to an inner panel of the door at vertically separated two positions with brackets 9 respectively interposed therebetween, for example.
Further, as described in Utility Model Publication No. H01-111017, it is also known that a glass run is provided not to project toward the outdoors but to be located only indoors so as to achieve a flush outside surface of the door, and thereby, a gap between a sliding window pane and a corner bracket is filled from the indoors. In Utility Model Publication No. H01-111017, the glass run (a seal member) is held by a core material fixed at the corner bracket side. Likewise, International Patent Publication No. 2010/001016 shows a technique in which a lip-equipped metal retainer is fixed to a fixed glass panel of a door and is located indoors and two lips thereof are in contact with the indoor surface and the end surface of a sliding window pane so as to achieve a flush outside surface of the door.
The door structures illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 have a possibility that a misalignment occurs between the upper and lower retainers 5 and 7 when the upper retainer 5 and the lower retainer 7 are attached to the side panel 2 and the door inner panel, respectively.
In particular, in providing a flush outside surface of the door in the manner described in Utility Model Publication No. H01-111017 or International Patent Publication No. 2010/001016, positioning of the retainers is difficult because the upper glass run and the glass run have different shapes, and the upper and lower retainers 5 and 7 have different cross-sectional shapes accordingly. In addition, when a misalignment occurs in attaching the side panel to a window part of the door, this misalignment leads to a misalignment of the upper retainer, thereby increasing the misalignment between the upper and lower retainers 5 and 7.
In a case where upper and lower glass runs are provided as separate components, when a misalignment occurs between the upper and lower retainers 5 and 7 as described above, a misalignment also occurs between the upper and lower glass runs to be attached to these retainers 5 and 7. This misalignment hinders smooth movement of the sliding window pane 1. If the upper and lower glass runs are continuously formed to be integrated, it is necessary to insert the integrated glass runs into the retainer 7 in the door body (i.e., between the inner panel and the outer panel) from the top of the retainer 7 for attachment. In this case, only poor assembly is obtained.